Major Chinese cities past Covid peak as wave moves to rural areas, new study projects

The wave of Covid infections sweeping across China may already have peaked in some of the country’s largest cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, according to a new study. The study, published on December 29 in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers of Medicine, said mathematical modeling predicted the latest wave of infections would pass through China’s major cities by the end of 2022, whereas more rural areas would be hit by the surge in mid-to-late January.

The spread could be “dramatically enhanced” by travels expected during the upcoming Spring Festival, a national holiday period surrounding the Lunar New Year, which falls on January 22, the study said.

For nearly three years, the Chinese government used strict lockdowns, centralized quarantines, mass testing and rigorous contact tracing to curb the spread of the virus. That costly strategy was abandoned in early December, following an explosion of protests across the country against stringent restrictions that have upended businesses and daily life.

Read more